


What's The Deal, Boy?

by noraleens



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Boys Kissing, House Party, Lucas is there too, M/M, Party Games, Songfic, Spin the Bottle, Underage Drinking, el hopper wingman extraordinaire, kind of, theyre like 16, why is that a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 19:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19157929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noraleens/pseuds/noraleens
Summary: "Why are you so weird, boy?" The song asked him. He didn’t know. "Are you queer, boy?" He stared into Mike’s eyes. He didn’t know.Or: The kids are having a party to celebrate El's accomplishments in school. Max has the genius idea of playing spin the bottle. Inadvisable kissing ensues.





	What's The Deal, Boy?

**Author's Note:**

> The characters are ~16 in this, so do with that what you will. Obviously nothing gross here, but there is underage drinking. Damn rapscallions.
> 
> For my friend Jay, who unintentionally gave me this idea. <3

“What’s taking him so long?” Mike grumbled. He’d been moping in the corner of their little get-together for 20 minutes now, and Will had been counting each one with the chunky calculator watch on his wrist. Lucas was next to him, swirling something they’d stolen from the Wheelers’ liquor cabinet in a red solo cup, probably bracing himself to drink it.

It was Max who’d convinced them to pregame: she’d picked the lock of the cabinet with a hairpin, then passed bottle after bottle down the group, three amongst the five of them (“If Dustin wants more later, he’ll have to break in here himself!”). They’d settled in Mike’s basement, chattering lightly with music playing from the stereo. Will had taken one sip of the stuff and nearly vomited, so he was perched on a chair near the table where they played D&D, watching Max chase El around the room with mild interest.

Mike was a foot or so away from him on the couch, toying absentmindedly with the streamers around a banner they’d put up: _CONGRATULATIONS, EL!_ Once Dustin finally arrived, he overheard Mike lament to Lucas, then they would be able to celebrate. They would be able to have fun. Will wasn’t too sure about that.

El had grown tired of running, and she perched herself on the arm of the couch, out of breath. Mike actually smiled a bit as she sat down next to him. Will looked away. He’d wondered for awhile what had been going on between them. It wasn’t as though El hadn’t told him _anything_ — they shared a house now, after all, and had had enough night-long conversations about their lives and feelings for him to get a general idea. He didn’t think they were _together_ anymore, but they were still extremely close. Suddenly, Will wasn’t sure if it was the liquor that was making him want to throw up.

“Alright, losers!” Max shouted suddenly, stomping her way over to the group with a bottle in hand. “Not you, Lucas,” she added softly to her boyfriend, “you’re an angel and I’m happy you’re here.”

“Okay,” Lucas responded, amused.

“Now, we gotta wait for Dustin to really start the party,” she continued, scanning the others’ faces excitedly, “but … I know a way we can pass the time.”

“Uh-oh,” Mike sneered.

“What is it?” Will asked politely. Max grinned and held up the glass bottle in her hand, and Will saw that it was empty. Lucas sucked in a sharp breath from across the couch and shook his head. He seemed to have guessed what her idea was. Confused, Will looked back at Max’s raised bottle and dopey expression. Then he understood. “Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes,” Max responded with a grin. “Spin the bottle!”

Everyone sighed in reluctance — everyone except El, whose brow was furrowed in confusion. “Spin the bottle?”

“Basically, we all sit in a circle, and someone spins the bottle,” Max explained, shaking the bottle in the air when she mentioned it. “Whoever it lands on, you have to kiss.” She said this with a wink.

Reluctantly, but desperate for any activity to pass the time, Lucas was the first off the couch. El dragged Mike along with them as Max cleared a space on the carpet. Will trailed behind. They all sat in a circle, and Max placed the bottle gingerly in front of them as he sat.

Will felt intoxicated, even though his plastic cup sat ignored on the table behind them, abandoned after he’d decided the liquid in it tasted like gasoline. He wondered if Max, to his right, or Lucas, to his left, noticed how his breath was coming out choked and shaky and how his hands trembled with anxiety; trying to act natural, he folded them into his lap and stared at his toes. By sheer probability, he didn’t think this would end well. He tried to focus on the song that had begun playing from the radio, and once he made out the lyrics, he nearly laughed out loud at the sheer irony.

 _Johnny, what’s the deal, boy?_  
_Is your love for real, boy?_  
_When the lights are low, you never hold me close._

He felt like throwing up again.

“El can go first,” Max offered. “You just spin it. Like this, see?” El nodded in understanding, then placed her palm where Max’s had demonstrated. And she spun the bottle.

He stared intently for what felt like ages — _I saw you today, boy, walking with them GAY boys_ , the radio mocked — until finally, it stopped, and the bottle landed on none other than Max.

_Johnny, are you queer?_

The group erupted in scattered _oohs_ and quiet giggles as El leaned across the circle and pecked Max on the lips with little hesitation. They lingered there for a moment, smiling at each other, then Max pulled away, tucking her hair behind her ear. Lucas seemed a bit uncomfortable, but Mike seemed indifferent. Which was interesting.

It was Max’s turn now, and she whirled it with glee (clearly the most intoxicated of the bunch).

The bottle landed pointing directly at Will. His eyes widened.

“Awwh,” El teased.

“Come ‘ere, boy,” Max mumbled.

 _I’m so afraid I’ll lose you if I can’t seduce you._ _  
_ _Is there something wrong?_

Will turned his head to his right, where Max was smiling at him. He felt his entire body tense up, and glanced quickly at the others, expecting to see them staring in anticipation — but Lucas was squinting at them awkwardly, and El was whispering something to Mike.

He looked back at Max, leaning into him, and closed his eyes. Their lips touched. Will felt his entire body tense up.

 _Oh, why are you so WEIRD, boy?_ _  
_ _Johnny, are you QUEER, boy?_

They pulled away. Her eyes were very blue.

 _When I make a play, you’re pushing me away._ _  
_ _Johnny, are you queer?_

He turned his head away from her, not making eye contact with anyone else, and he sensed her sitting back down beside him. Someone told him it was his turn. He reached out and spun the bottle.

It spun. And spun. And spun. He finally looked up at the others. Everyone was staring at the bottle. El was staring at him. She looked bothered about something. He looked down at the bottle. Max was okay. He’d kissed her already; he could do it again. Landing on Lucas would be _terrible_ , but it wasn’t the worst case scenario. El was essentially his sister, so that would be weird. But if it landed on her, the others would probably give them a pass.

It seemed as though that was going to happen when the bottle slowed next to El. Will nearly breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t seem as though it would move any further — but then it did. It moved erratically, unnaturally, and stopped abruptly.

Pointing right at Mike.

Will was sure he would die right there.

He just kept staring at the bottle. Mike lifted his own red cup from where he’d placed it on the carpet and took a swig. “Okay,” he breathed. “Okay.” And he got on his hands and knees and crawled across the circle.

Mike stopped just an inch short of Will’s nose. His eyes were glazed, his expression awkward and shaky. Will wanted to make a sarcastic remark, break the unbearable tension, but he’d never been good at that. _Why are you so weird, boy?_ The song asked him. He didn’t know. _Are you queer, boy?_ He stared into Mike’s eyes. He didn’t know.

Mike leaned in all at once, and Will nearly fell backwards. Mike kissed him. He froze. Then he realized he should be kissing back, and he did.

_Johnny, are you queer, boy?_

Mike’s lips were soft. They tasted like strawberry chapstick, but his breath smelled of the weird lemony liquor, and his tongue tasted like rubbing alcohol. He’d figured Mike had had at least a bit of experience in this department, and he knew now that he was right.

 _Johnny, are you queer, boy?  
Johnny, are you queer, boy?_ _  
_ _Johnny, are you queer, boy?_

They’d moved around more than once, and Mike was leaning into him so hard he’d needed to throw an arm back to hold himself up. _Johnny, are you queer, boy?_ the radio droned on. _Johnny, are you QUEER, boy?_ He didn’t think about the rest of their friends probably watching them, or the strange way the bottle had come to a stop, as though it had been grabbed by an invisible hand. _Johnny, are you QUEER, boy?_ He didn’t even think about the weird taste that now invaded his mouth from the back of the Wheelers’ medicine cabinet. _Johnny, are you —_

“Hey guys, what’d I —”

Mike pulled away, but just barely. After a beat, he seemed to realize where he was, and he shuffled back, lightly carpet-burned hands flying backwards to steady himself. Will looked up to find Dustin standing at the bottom of the stairs. “— miss?” he finished, dumbfounded.

Max shoved Mike back to his place, revealing the bottle that had been hidden underneath his stomach, seemingly forgotten. Dustin nodded in understanding, although visibly shaken up, and crossed the room to put his things away. Nobody spoke.

“That was weird,” Max said quietly.

“I mean, that _is_ how you’re supposed to do it.”

Max elbowed Lucas at the remark. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just …” She looked down at the bottle again, then shook her head dismissively. “Whatever.”

But Will knew exactly what she was talking about. The way the bottle had moved — he looked at El.

She was discretely wiping her nose on the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

Will vowed to give her an _earful_ on the way home.


End file.
